Silhouettes
by jonesy100000000
Summary: Draco felt as if his hope had died. Will Hermione be able to show him that hope will always survive if you give life a chance? A 4 parter based on Smile Empty Soul's 'Silhouettes' but is not a songfic
1. All My Problems

Silhouettes

**A/N: This was based on Smile Empty Soul's song, 'Silhouettes'. It is not a songfic but just where the inspiration for it came from. It's a four-parter which I have written so the updates will come quickly. This chapter is set shortly after the 6th book.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Silhouettes or the associated lyrics. I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters within the franchise. If I did, Tom Felton would be all mine and in the movies far more!**

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Silhouetted against the rapidly setting sun, a lone figure sat staring out across the stormy sea to the bleak horizon. Draco sighed heavily and hung his head in his hands a defeated look set heavily on his face. This was not the face of a seventeen year old boy, but likened more to a man who has lived a troubled life for decades. To Draco Malfoy, it felt like the past year had aged him mentally, he had seen things and done things he had never imagined he would. They had taken their toll on the boy and he was paying a heavy price for them. He had failed; the pressure had got to him, he had cracked, 'a disappointment right to the very end' as he father had said. Now he was to all intents and purposes on the run as Snape had killed Dumbledore. In a short while he supposed he would have to find some way of returning to Malfoy Manor and face the consequences of his lack of actions.

After he had run away from Hogwarts, Draco had wandered on his own, he wasn't desparate to return home. He didn't know where he was as he hadn't apparated, he had just run and run and after his legs started to give way, he walked trying to clear his head so that he could menatally prepare himself for whatever was going to happen next. Now the physical exertion had caught up with him and Draco was too worn out to do much else but sit and think through things. Draco liked being alone, he always had, even when Crabbe and Goyle had followed him around in some ways Draco had still been alone. Last year, he had definately been alone, no-one could possibly understand what he had been through. The blond was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear approaching footsteps.

Hermione had been taking a walk along the cliffs near to Shell Cottage. She had wanted to clear her head, and a solitary amble was the perfect way to do this, after the events with Harry and Dumbledore leading to the latter's eventual demise at the hand of Snape. Severus Snape whom Dumbledore had trusted and stood up for over the issue of his being a death eater, he had betrayed him. Frustrated, Hermione kicked a stone along the path; life could be so unfair. Why did a great man like Dumbledore have to die when weaker men survived to live another day? Suddenly, Hermione stopped when she saw a shadowy figure sat by the cliff edge. The rest of the Weasley clan and Harry were back at Shell Cottage and she doubted anyone else knew of this place. She slowly drew her wand form under her robes and gingerly approached the edge, gasping quietly when she saw the figure was no older than herself and blond.

'Draco Malfoy?' Draco's head snapped up to look at her. 'What are you doing here?'

'What's it matter to you Granger? Why don't you run off to stupid scarhead, the 'saviour' of the wizarding world and your husband-to-be, the Weasel? I'm sure they'll be pleased to know where I am so they can turn me over to the dementors.' Draco looked back out to sea; it was just his luck to be found by the goody-two-shoes.

Hermione, slightly intrigued by Draco's peculiar behaviour, sat down next to him, her wand nearby just in case she needed it. She didn't think that Draco would hurt her; he was a bully but there was no-one else around for him to show off to and Hermione knew he wasn't a killer, if he was then Snape wouldn't have killed Dumbledore. However, Hermione was not stupid, Draco was still a slytherin who looked down on muggle-borns and they were about to be plunged into a war on opposing sides, as one of Harry's best friends Hermione wasn't exactly an unknown to the death eaters, and so she kept her wand at the ready just in case he tried anything on her.

Angered, Draco said, 'Now what? Why can't you just leave me alone?'

'Sometimes being alone isn't good enough,' Hermione countered, not allowing his anger to get to her. 'Sometimes all we need is someone to talk to, who will listen to us.'

'What makes you think I want to talk?'

'You must be bothered by something or else you wouldn't be here.'

'Don't presume to know me, Granger.'

Hermione sighed, 'I know you're just scared.'

'I'm Draco Malfoy; I don't get scared,' scoffed Draco.

'Then we go back to my earlier question, why are you here? If you're not scared why don't you go running back to mummy and daddy? You're barely seventeen Draco; it's alright to be scared sometimes. We're living in a scary time, the futures uncertain for all of us.'

Then Draco did something that shocked Hermione to the core. Draco Malfoy, the hardened slytherin bully, began to cry quietly. Hermione was unsure what to do now, one thing she knew though was that she could not leave him alone; it went against her very nature. Gently, she scooted slightly closer to Draco and put her arm around him to comfort him.

If Hermione had been shocked by his tears, then Draco was even more so. He had not meant to break down in front of Granger but something about her persistent questioning, and the fact that she had just used his given name for what was probably the first time, had caused the dam he had spent years building to break. The flood was coming as tears poured down his cheeks, and Draco was powerless to stop them.

'Of course I'm scared Hermione. How could I not be? Everything I've been forced to do and witness is only the beginning; my life will only get worse from now on.' Draco barely noticed his slip-up of Hermione's name, but she did. He raised his head to look her in the eye. 'You've got to understand Hermione; I never truly wanted any of it: the torture, the killings, the plotting, my task, any of it. I just wanted to be an ordinary boy who did well in school and had a good family but the Dark Lord came back and ruined it all for me. I don't believe in any of that pureblood/mudblood rubbish. How could I when you, a muggle born, are the brightest witch of our age?'

Hermione looked back into Draco's misty grey eyes and saw only the truth in him. He was not lying, he was just pouring out his heart to the first person who had actively listened to him. It was at that point that her heart broke for the boy sat next to her, the boy who had bullied and tormented her for the past six years.

'Can't you understand Hermione; I don't want to end up living like my mother. She lives her life ruled by fear of my father, and now the Dark Lord. She barely exists, everything she does is controlled by my father, she can't put a toe out of line – what he says goes and you don't contradict him because he follows The Dark Lord. I can't spend the rest of my living like that Hermione, I can't. As for my father, well, I used to think he was great. That everything he said about muggle-borns was true and how they were the scum of the wizarding world who ought to be purged, and that The Dark Lord was the right wizard to do so. I idolised him, practically worshipped the ground he walked on; I was proud to call him my father. Now it just makes me sick to the core, he genuinely believes in what the Dark Lord preaches. He thinks he's doing some sort of good for the world. Now the Dark Lord's back, his working hard to make sure he, and I suppose the rest of our family, stay in favour. He's giving up Hermione, everything he says and does has to have the Dark Lord's approval. I don't want to give up like that before I die, Hermione. I want to be able to make my own decisions. I don't want to be the man my father is.'

Hermione was touched by Draco's soliloquy and so hugged him closer to her, 'Why don't you just not go back? Come back with me and join the order or something.'

'It's not that simple Hermione, not everything in this world is black and white, good and bad. There are periods of grey throughout life. I haven't got an option Hermione, I have to go back, I've got no choice. Do you have any idea what would happen to my mother, or my father, if I didn't return home? Do you have any idea what's probably happening to them already, just because I'm not a killer? It was for fear of their safety that kept me focused on my task last year.'

Hermione removed her arm and stood up. 'You say you don't want to end up living like your parents Draco, but that's exactly what you're doing. You've given up on life. Your talking like hope has died, but hope's the one thing that can never die. We can spend most of our lives in what appears to be hell on earth but there's always hope; the hope that one day things will be better. The order could rescue your parents, offer them safe-house or something.'

'For me Hermione, hope died years ago.' Draco stood and spun on his heels, disapparating to Malfoy Manor.

**A/N: Well that's the first part. Please review. I'll update tomorrow probably.**


	2. This is War

Silhouettes

**A/N: This was based on Smile Empty Soul's song, 'Silhouettes'. It is not a songfic but just where the inspiration for it came from. It's a four-parter which I have written so the updates will come quickly. This chapter is set shortly after the 7th book.**

**Also, thanks to Yemi-Hikari for the constructive critiscism on the last chapter in her review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Silhouettes or the associated lyrics. I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters within the franchise. If I did, Tom Felton would be all mine and in the movies far more!**

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Hermione sat down by the Great Lake. The final battle was over, Harry and the order had won, but at a heavy price; so many good people has fallen in the fight: Sirius, Moody, Tonks, Lupin, and Fred, to name but a few. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of each of them and the countless more who would continue to suffer, the lives that would have to be rebuilt.

A commotion from just behind her, distracted Hermione from her sombre thoughts and she turned her head to see what was going on.

'Let go of me,' a familiar voice sounded.

Hermione stood, her wand at the ready, and walked toward the small group of people. Her eyes widened when she saw two aurors trying to take Draco Malfoy away.

'Draco? Where are they taking you?'

'Stay away Miss. He's a death eater and probably still dangerous,' the slightly larger and more senior auror warned Hermione.

Draco didn't look too happy, 'What do you mean dangerous? How can I be dangerous? I don't even have a wand and I'm not a death eater. Hermione, tell them, tell them I mean no harm. Please?'

'Don't talk to her, you piece of filth,' the second auror barked at Draco, drawing back his fist and punching him. Draco fell to the ground, too fatigued to defend himself. From his position he looked up at Hermione, his eyes pleading with her to have some pity.

Hermione glanced down, still shocked by the auror's actions, and looked into his eyes as she had done nearly a year before; he looked frightened. He had made his choice then and was having to face the consequences now. She gave him a disappointed look as Draco was dragged to his feet and hauled away, no longer resisting having seen Hermione Granger's disappointment in him.

Without a second glance back, Hermione walked away from the three men and made her way back to the castle, the tears once more cascading down as she attempted to come to terms with what she had done. It wasn't in her nature to be so cruel, but what else could she have done? A year ago, she had offered him a safe house, a chance for redemption but he had turned it all down saying that he had no choice. He was wrong; he had made his choice to go back to Voldermort. He had picked a side and had to deal with what life would be like for him as a former death eater. She could do nothing, if he was not willing to help himself. It wasn't like she owed him anything. He had made her life difficult for her first six years at Hogwarts, calling her names and laughing at her, even though it was not her fault that she was muggle born.

As she neared the castle, Hermione could not shake the image of Draco looking so alone and abandoned on the cliff edge one year ago. Maybe she had been too harsh on him; he had been just a boy, forced into the life his parent led. He had been telling the truth when he had apologised for bullying her and said he didn't want to be a death eater like his parents. For once in his life Draco Malfoy had been honest with someone. Hermione couldn't ignore the scared look in his eyes as the aurors had taken him away. Her mind flashed back to what she had told him that evening on the cliff: _'It's alright to be scared sometimes. We're living in a scary time, the futures uncertain for all of us.'_

On entering the castle, Hermione found herself with two pairs of strong arms around her.

'We were worrying about you Hermione,' said Harry.

'Yeah, we thought maybe a stray death eater had caught up with you,' exclaimed Ron.

At the words, 'death eater' Hermione begun to think of what had just happened with Draco, at how his life would be forever tainted by the fact that people believed him to be a death eater.

'Hermione? You didn't get in a fight with a stray death eater, did you?' questioned Ron.

'What? Oh not really.' Hermione was removed from her thoughts.

'Did you know Hermione, they've taken Malfoy away? He put up a bit of a struggle though, claiming he isn't a death eater and such,' Harry commented.

Ron scoffed, 'Once a death eater, always a death eater. According to Percy, that slimy ferret will be going to Azkaban for a very long time. He'll be nice company for he dementors. After what happened to you Hermione at his manor, he deserves whatever is coming to him.'

'Why Azkaban?'

'Where else is there for scum like him to go?'

'He's not scum, Ron. He's just a boy.'

'Why are you defending him, Hermione? Don't you remember Malfoy Manor?' Harry questioned.

'He had nothing to do with that, Harry. Draco can't be held responsible for what happened at his home. He had no say in what went on. Don't either of you remember? It wasn't Draco who told Voldermort who we were, was it?'

'He still bullied you for being a muggle born. He was still present when his aunt tortured you. He can't just get away with it all.'

'Draco was right. Hope has died for him, all the while bigoted people like you are still here then for innocent people like Draco, he has no hope of putting things right.' Hermione countered.

'How would you know if he's right?' Ron replied, disgusted that she might have spoken to the ferret.

'I know a lot more than you think Ronald. I know he's not a death eater at heart, I know he doesn't believe in pureblood ideology. I know he had no choice but to be branded. I know he's just a scared boy uncertain of what the future holds for him, and he's right to be so with people like you two who are practically baying for his blood.' Hermione turned to leave. She hadn't meant to get into an argument with her two best friends but she had never expected them to be so close-minded; it made them as bad as what they claimed Draco to be.

'Hermione, wait.' Harry place his hand on her arm to stop her leaving. Hermione spun around and brandished her wand at both Harry and Ron.

'Don't touch me!'

'Hermione just calm down,' Harry tried again having hastily removed his hand.

'Has Malfoy put you under some disillusionment charm or something?'

'Ron, that's not helping,' Harry argued.

'I've made a terrible mistake. Unlike you two, I can see when I am wrong. I'm going to go and set things right. I can't let an innocent boy be sent down because other are prejudiced against him. Otherwise, what was the point in the war, the lives that have been lost or destroyed, if we turn out just like those we fought against? It is not as simple as someone being a death eater or an order member; there are periods of grey throughout life,' Hermione turned once and more, storming out of the castle, leaving two shocked and battle-weary boys standing in her wake.

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**A/N: Well that's the second part. Please review. I'll update tomorrow probably.**


	3. Bottom of a Bottle

Silhouettes

**A/N: This was based on Smile Empty Soul's song, 'Silhouettes'. It is not a songfic but just where the inspiration for it came from. It's a four-parter which I have written so the updates will come quickly. This chapter is set shortly after the 7th book.**

**Also, thanks to Suuz112 for her review last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Silhouettes or the associated lyrics. I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters within the franchise. If I did, Tom Felton would be all mine and in the movies far more!**

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Draco didn't even bother to look up as the bars of his cell rattled. He was due to be sent to Azkaban that day and was dreading that moment. He hadn't even had a proper trial; the only evidence presented was his left arm bearing the dark mark. He had been in this cell deep within the ministry for a few days now, Draco had lost track of the time a while ago. Not that he would need to know the day or time where he was going, he was there for life. All he had to count down to was his eventual death. He heard the creaking of the cell door being opened and sensed the light flood his cell, but still didn't open his eyes, what was the point? Hope really had died for him.

Grey eyes flew open, however, when he heard a female's voice softly tell the guard that she would be quite alright on her own. That he was of no danger to her.

'Draco? Draco, it's me Hermione,' the soft voice called out into the darkness.

Draco registered the voice searching through his memories. Of course it was. How could he have forgotten that voice? Suddenly embarrassed, Draco sank back further into the corner of his cell. Why had she come now? Did she really need to come here to gloat that she had been right that night, which seemed to have been decades ago rather than just over a year ago, on the cliff edge?

He was suddenly aware that Hermione's face was in front of him.

'What are you doing here?' Draco asked, mirroring what she had asked him before.

'I'm here to tell you that your sentence as been overturned. You're a free man, Draco.'

'Hermione, I know I have nothing left anymore but don't joke with me.'

'I'm not joking Draco. You really are free to go. I went to the minster himself.'

Draco stood suddenly and paced to the other side of the cell, shouting 'I know everyone thinks I'm the lowest of the low, a blight on this earth or whatever. I know I used to bully you, but I never believed that you would be capable of this Hermione. Is there any point in kicking a man when he's already down? Why are you trying to get my hopes up only to knock them back down again? I told you, hope for me is dead.'

Hermione stood and walked cautiously over to where Draco stood with his back to her and gently replied, 'I'm here to show that there is always hope. I've got the sentence overturned form signed by the minister here.'

Draco turned without warning, forcing Hermione to back up into the cell wall. He covered her body with his, essentially trapping her between his arms.

'Why are you doing this to me? I deserve this. This is what I get for the choices I made, the life I followed,' he shouted at her.

Hermione had begun to reply when she was interrupted by the guard knocking on the cell door. 'Are you alright in there Miss Granger? I heard shouting. Do you need any help?'

'I'm fine thank you,' Hermione reassured him and used the temporary distraction to remove herself from under Draco.

'Never say you deserve this, Draco. You don't. You said yourself you had no choice. So why should you be punished for something that's not your fault?'

'People were tortured and killed in my home. You included. That won't ever be forgotten.'

'You can change people's minds. Show them that you are a good person, that past actions mean nothing. You can redeem yourself; make the Malfoy name respected again.'

'What's the use?' Draco sat back down on the cell floor, his back leaning against the cold stone wall, his head resting in his hands.

Hermione was once more reminded with the silhouetted image of Draco in a similar position a couple of years back. Her heart broke once more.

'But if you don't try, if you give up, then hope really has died. There's nothing in this world that you can't be if you want it enough.'

Draco didn't reply.

'You really are free to go, Draco.' With nothing left to say to convince him that she was not lying, Hermione fished through her pockets and pulled out a piece of parchment, placing it on the floor, and left Draco sitting there.

Draco raised his head slightly, to watch Hermione leave. He heard the cell door close behind Hermione but was surprised to not hear it lock. Maybe Hermione had been right? Maybe he really was free to go? But how had she got his sentence overturned? Why did she care so much anyway? What was he to her? Nobody cared about former death eaters, preferring that they were locked up in Azkaban. Hermione especially should hate him, shun him.

He looked at the cell door. He had nothing else to do with his life. In a short while he would be shipped off to Azkaban. He might as well see if what Hermione had said was true. Now she wasn't here, Draco felt more inclined to try; Hermione would have left by now and so wouldn't laugh at his desperate and pathetic actions if she had been lying. Draco stood up and pushed open his cell door.

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**A/N: Well that's the third part. Please review. I'll update tomorrow probably.**


	4. Eraser

Silhouettes

**A/N: This was based on Smile Empty Soul's song, 'Silhouettes'. It is not a songfic but just where the inspiration for it came from. It's a four-parter which I have written so the updates will come quickly. This chapter is set alongisde the epilogue of the 7th book.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song Silhouettes or the associated lyrics. I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters within the franchise. If I did, Tom Felton would be all mine and in the movies far more!**

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It was nearly nineteen years later when Hermione Weasley stood on platform 9¾. She hadn't seen Draco or heard from him since she had seen him in his cell after the war. She had read the odd article about him in the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly. She had never forgotten him, his defeated look had haunted her dreams ever since. After the war, Hermione had married Ron and had had two children, Rose and Hugo. Now they were due to go back to school. Harry and Ginny were also going to be there, to see most of their children off to Hogwarts.

Hermione and Ron met up with Harry and Ginny. She saw Harry nod in someone's direction and looked over in that direction. All she saw was the back of a blond head and a smaller version standing next to him along with a woman. They seamed to be standing slightly away from the crowds on the platform, as if ostracized from everyone else. Hermione sighed, it seemed as if Draco had been right again, people would never forget.

Hermione was still standing on the platform long after the Hogwarts express had left. .Ron had gone back with Harry and Ginny as Hermione had wanted to be alone for a while. Slowly, she made her way back across the platform and through the portal to the main Kings Street Station. She didn't have time to scream as a hand pulled her into the shadows.

'What's going on?' she said once she had caught her breath.

'Sshh, it's me Hermione.'

'Draco Malfoy? What are you doing accosting me at the train station?'

'I wanted to say thank you. I realised I never actually properly thanked you for getting my sentence overturned all those years ago.'

'It was no problem at all Draco.'

'How did you do it? How did you get them to see I wasn't all bad?'

'Why don't we go find a coffee shop somewhere and I'll discuss it with you.'

As Draco and Hermione entered a small coffee shop on Diagon Alley, a short silence descended on the shop. No-one expected the ex-death eater and Harry Potter's best friend to be together in a coffee shop. Draco ordered them two black coffees and went to sit opposite Hermione in one of the booths. He was used to people's negative stares and whispers wherever he went, but it was clear to Draco that Hermione wasn't.

'You don't have to do this if you don't want to,' Draco said as he sat down.

'You have a right to know, Draco. It's your life.'

'We could go somewhere more private if it would make you more comfortable.'

'Sure,' she agreed, picking up her coffee and holding onto his arm as he apparated them away from the coffee shop.

When they had landed, Hermione looked around her. They were back on the cliff edge where all this drama had started twenty-one years ago. They both sat down in the same spot as before. Hermione took a sip of her coffee and readied herself.

'Basically, I realised that I was wrong not to defend you after the final battle. I had to do something to put things right. Ron had said you were probably going to go to Azkaban for a very long while and I couldn't let that happen to you, especially after what you said that evening, in this very spot. You were innocent but no-one else seemed to care. I went as soon as I could to the Minister himself, pulled in a few favours mentioning Harry and Voldermort's name a few times. Eventually I was allowed to see him and so I told him that I thought that what he was doing was wrong, he was as bad as the death eaters. He didn't like that too much. In the end, to convince him that I wasn't lying I showed him my memory in his pensieve. Once he'd seen that conversation on the cliff he had to agree with me. He overturned your sentence straight away and went to see you to tell you.'

Draco lowered his head. He had regretted what he had said all those years ago to Hermione. He had called a liar, refusing to believe her.

'I'm sorry,' he mumbled.

'Whatever for Draco, I forgave you for the teasing the last time we were here. There's nothing left to apologise for.'

'I meant I'm sorry for the way I treated you in my cell when you came to tell me of my freedom. The way in which I disbelieved you.'

Once more, Hermione put her arms around him as if he was still the alone and scared seventeen year old he had once been.

'You got my life back on track, Hermione. You showed me that it didn't matter if no-one else cared whether you lived or died providing someone did. You were my angel Hermione, guiding me onto the right path. If it hadn't been for you, not only would I be rotting in some cell in Azkaban, but I'd have nothing to live for either. My family, Scorpius and Astoria and I owe so much to you. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.'

'You owe me nothing Draco,' Hermione replied softly.

The two continued to sit there, holding each other. Draco thought back throughout his life. When he was with Hermione he felt like she spoke to the person inside of him. She had always been willing to listen to him when he needed to talk. In some ways she probably knew him better than he did himself. Around her, Draco could be himself, no pretenses. Astoria was alright but she didn't want to know, to listen to him. If Draco was honest to himself, then he would be forced to admit that Astoria was only with him because he was the only rich, pureblood, slytherin left. His son was a different though; Draco would do anything for his son. He had been so determined not to make the same mistakes as his own father had. He'd prefer it if he could have left Astoria to live with Hermione and Scorpius.

Sitting with Hermione, was perfection itself, life always seemed to be slightly brighter when she was around. She was his brand of heroin, for as long as Draco lived he would always need her. Draco sighed contentedly and ran his hands through her silky brown hair. Hermione Granger, a muggle-born, had broken through Draco Malfoy's, a pureblood, shell and shown him that hope can always be rebuilt. That if you wanted something bad enough in this world, then all you had to do was try and get it.

Silhouetted against the September sun, two figures sat together staring out across the sea to the distant horizon. The two had been through so much together and on their own but everything had come full circle and ended up where it had all started with a very different outlook the second time around. But in the end, all sinners have to pay…

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**A/N: Well that's the fourth and final part. Please review. Thanks for sticking with this story and reading it. It was fun to write and I hoped you enjoyed reading it too. **

**jonesy100000000**


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